Beginning on October 2 this year, the Assam government will outlaw the manufacture and use of PET drinking water bottles that are less than 1 litre in capacity. Additionally, Assam will outlaw single-use plastic starting on October 2.

The Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: “The state cabinet has approved to prohibit the production and use of drinking water bottles made of PET that are less than 1 litre in volume and strict implementation of the ban on single-use plastic in the state as per the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021. The ban will be put into effect from October 2 of this year with a 3-month transition period provided up to that date.”

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According to Sarma, the state cabinet has approved to prohibit the production and use of drinking water bottles made of PET that are less than 1 litre in volume and strict implementation of the ban on single-use plastic in the state as per the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021. The ban will be put into effect from October 2 of this year with a 3-month transition period provided up to that date.

“Moreover, we have decided that from October 2 next year, use of drinking water bottles made of PET of less than 2 litres will also be banned,” he added.

The state cabinet on Friday also made some important decisions.

The Chief Minister added that the state cabinet approved the consolidated administration for Phase I of the ADB-funded “Climate Resilient Brahmaputra Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Project,” which will be carried out by the Flood and River Erosion Management Agency of Assam at a cost of 2097 crore.

According to the project, integrated flood and riverbank erosion risk management operations will be conducted in the districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Morigaon, Kamrup, and Goalpara along the main stem of the Brahmaputra River at susceptible reaches.

Sarma said that 3.27 km of embankment work and 72.7 km of anti-erosion work are both being considered.

He added that the state cabinet decided to free distribute four 9-watt LED bulbs to roughly 50 lakh low-income households in Assam under a special initiative at an estimated cost of 130 crore.

“This will guarantee reduced energy consumption for users, thereby reducing their bills, while also assisting in managing electricity load during peak hours,” the Chief Minister said.

Meanwhile, the process for appointing retired officers as inquiry officers to undertake departmental inquiries has been approved by the state cabinet.

The disciplinary body will be given a deadline for receiving inquiry reports from retired officials who are not below the rank of Joint Secretary or equivalent and who are 70 years of age or older, Sarma mentioned.